President William Ruto announced on Monday that a new salary scale for police officers will be implemented starting July 2024. This announcement came as he flagged off the first contingent of 400 police officers heading to Haiti to help manage gang violence.
The new salary structures will be disclosed later, Ruto mentioned during the send-off ceremony at the Administration Police Training Campus in Embakasi. He handed over the Kenyan flag to the officers, who are set to depart between June 24 and 25 for a UN-backed mission aimed at addressing gang-related issues in Haiti.
The Kenyan contingent includes personnel from the Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU), Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU), General Service Unit (GSU), and Border Patrol Unit (BPU). These officers, trained in various combat and language skills, are deemed capable of handling the situation on the ground professionally.
Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome appointed Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police (SAIG) Godfrey Otunge as the new commander of the over 2,500 police officers designated for the Haiti mission. Otunge will replace Deputy Inspector General of Administration Police Service (APS) Noor Gabow, who will oversee coordination from Nairobi. Additionally, Commissioner Stephen Chebet, head of operations for the General Service Unit, will join the mission as the head of operations.
Officials have expressed confidence in the leadership and expertise of Otunge and Chebet. An advance team has already been dispatched to Haiti to prepare for the arrival of the main contingent. Gabow will remain in Nairobi to coordinate training and capacity building for both the Kenyan team and the Haitian National Police.
Kenya is leading the 2,500-member security force, having agreed with the Haitian government on rules of engagement for the mission. The security personnel are expected to face significant opposition from heavily armed gangs controlling the capital and overwhelming local police forces.
In addition to the Kenyan officers, over 1,000 police personnel from other nations, including Chile, Jamaica, Grenada, Paraguay, Burundi, Chad, Nigeria, and Mauritius, will also join the effort to combat gang violence in Haiti.
In related news, Haiti’s new government has appointed Rameau Normil as the director general of the Haitian National Police (PNH). Normil’s appointment was formalized by the Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) and Prime Minister Garry Conille on June 19, with his swearing-in taking place on June 21. He succeeds Frantz Elbé, who faced criticism for his inability to control the escalating gang violence.
This mission follows a UN Security Council resolution approved in October. The Kenyan government secured the agreement on March 1, although a small opposition party in Kenya has filed a lawsuit to block the deployment. The United States is providing financial and logistical support for the mission but will not send personnel to Haiti.
Haiti has struggled with gang violence for years, which significantly worsened in late February when armed groups launched coordinated attacks in Port-au-Prince, attempting to overthrow then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry.